See You in the Next Life
by Kaorei
Summary: "I'll be waiting." / Hiro and Tadashi's brotherly relationship in various alternate universes. — [reincarnation!au]: gang!au, royalty/servantofevil!au, sickness!au, canonverse, role-reversed!au, bighero7!au.


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6. It belongs to Disney and Marvel. I do not own "Servant of Evil". It belongs to mothy, otherwise known as Akuno-P.**_

* * *

 **See You in the Next Life**

 _I'll be waiting._

* * *

 **A** pair of dark brown eyes opened.

Tadashi immediately shot upright and panted heavily. He sighed in relief. "Just a dream…"

He tried to wipe away the cold sweat that trickled down his face, when he realized that his hands and feet were tied up with rope. He tried to free himself from the knots, but they were just too tight.

Tadashi came to realize that he was on the floor of a little dark room. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness to observe his surroundings. When they finally did, he noticed a large corkboard hanging on the wall with various pictures being connected with strings ranging from crimson red to navy blue. Numerous piles of papers sat atop the desk in the corner of the room, along with tools and weapons.

"Hiro!" Tadashi whispered loudly. He scanned the entirety of the room, but there was no sign of Hiro whatsoever. He was starting to work on untying the knots on his wrists and get up and leave the room to look for his brother, when the door suddenly swung open and standing right there was a rather large man with dagger for eyes.

"I see you've finally awakened, Sunfire," the man smirked. "Or do you prefer _Tadashi_?"

Tadashi gulped.

He had no clue how he ended up in his rival gang's headquarters. The last thing he remembered was being knocked unconscious and that awfully familiar _dream_ he just had.

Despite his fear and confusion, Tadashi kept on a strong façade.

"Tell me where the others are," the large man demanded.

"Like I'd tell you, _Yama_ ," Tadashi spat. He suddenly let out a sickening scream when Yama grabbed a bat from the nearby table and smashed it against Tadashi's legs. His hands were tied up, so he couldn't even grab his legs to try to soothe the pain.

"You _will_ tell me," Yama growled. "Or you will _never_ see the light of day again."

Tadashi ignored the dizziness that threatened to overcome him, and replied, "If it's to protect my gang, then I'm willing to do just that."

"You asked for it," Yama laughed darkly as he raised the bat over his head. Tadashi closed his eyes, and waited for a blow that never came. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yama frozen in the exact same position, but this time, with blood slowly staining his shirt. He let out one last breath before falling over sideways and staining the floors with his crimson red blood.

Suddenly, a group of people appeared before the door. Tadashi recognized them as his gang, and grinned victoriously.

"Sunfire!" the one who shot Yama to the ground- Honey Lemon was her codename- exclaimed. She jumped over the dead man and knelt down next to him. She placed a hand on her chest and said, "Thank goodness we made it in time."

An Asian girl with a violet streak in her hair- codename GoGo- walked over to Tadashi, all the while stepping on the man Honey had just killed minutes prior. She took out a dagger and began cutting the ropes tied around Tadashi's wrists and ankles. She smirked, "You're every gang's number one target. Must suck being the leader, huh?"

Tadashi rubbed his wrists once they were free. "You have no idea," he laughed. "What about Yama's men?"

"Took 'em all out. Not a single one left," a dark-skinned man whom they call Wasabi replied breezily. "And not a single drop of blood on me this time."

"Wish I could say the same," a slurred voice belonging to the man with the beanie on his head- Fredzilla- replied. His pants were nearly _dripping_ with blood. "I kinda went overboard."

"Yeah, no kiddi-" started another voice, before the sound of a hand clamping a mouth shut was heard. Tadashi's head shot up at the voice, and his shocked expression turned into that of fury.

" _You brought Hiro along_?!" Tadashi yelled. He didn't care how loud he was. Yama and his men were all dead anyway.

"That's _Baymax_ to you," Hiro joked to try to ease his older brother's anger. But one look at his brother's face, and he shrunk under his gaze.

Unfortunately, that 'joke' only made Tadashi angrier.

"How many _times_ do I have to tell you, Hiro," Tadashi snarled. " _You. Cannot. Come."_

"But why not, Tadashi?!" Hiro yelled back. "It's not fair! You always keep me in the dark! I wanna help out too, you know!"

"Hiro, you don't understand how _dangerous_ gang wars are! You can get _killed_ -"

"Oh, what, and _you_ can't?"

The room suddenly grew silent. Both brothers just glared at each other fiercely, while the rest of the Big Hero 6 gang just glanced at each other back and forth awkwardly.

" _Honey_ ," Tadashi said icily, while still glaring at his stubborn little brother.

"Y-yes, Sunfire?" she stuttered, shoving her gun back into its holster.

"Take that map off the wall, and each one of you, take as many papers as you can. Yama's an absolute _dumbshit_ and thought we wouldn't be able to get away with this," Tadashi said in such a monotone it put GoGo to shame. He only ever acted this way when he was extremely angry.

"Right," the rest of the gang replied as they went and did as they were told.

When they exited the building, Tadashi set it on fire- a warning to all the other gangs that the Big Hero 6 had been there, and to destroy all evidence they possibly dropped or left behind.

(His name _was_ Sunfire after all).

The members of Big Hero 6 all remained silent on their way back to headquarters, and prepared themselves for a good earful they were about to get from no other than their leader.

* * *

"Now _which one of you_ allowed Hiro to tag along?" Tadashi growled as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot repeatedly. Each one of them cowered under his death glare- GoGo showed a little more bravery, however- and none wanted to answer his question.

When he received no answer, Tadashi grew even angrier.

"Let me ask again," Tadashi said through gritted teeth. " _Which one of you allowed Hiro to tag along_?!"

"None of them," Hiro suddenly cut in. Tadashi turned around to glare at his younger brother.

"I don't need you burying lies, Hiro," Tadashi said as he rolled his eyes and turned to face the older members of his gang once more.

"No, really!" Hiro yelled before running over to his brother. "I secretly followed them and they kinda found out when we were more than halfway to Yama's base. It was too late for me to get back."

"Is this true?" Tadashi asked Wasabi, Honey Lemon, GoGo and Fredzilla. They each nodded while avoiding eye contact. "I see. You can all go, except for you, Hiro."

The four members who were given permission to leave obeyed, but stayed near the door to eavesdrop on both brothers. All except for GoGo was on Tadashi's side. Hiro was only fourteen and was way too young to get himself involved in such a violent activity. GoGo claims Hiro can take care of himself, and with some training, he could easily wipe out enemies with deception (I mean, look how innocent the kid looked).

" _Hiro_ ," Tadashi said icily. His tone of voice made shivers run down Hiro's spine. " _Why_ do you want to come along so bad? Is it so hard to ask you to stay behind?"

Hiro stomped his foot childishly. "No, Tadashi, the real question is, _why_ don't you ever let me go anywhere?!"

"You know why I can't do that! You're only fourteen! Do you really think I want a _kid_ like you- my little brother, no less- to jump head first into danger?" Tadashi yelled back.

"Yeah, but-"

"If anything, you'll only _hold us back_! You'll just be in the way!"

Tadashi saw pain flash in Hiro's eyes and immediately regretted was he had just said. Hiro turned on his heel and headed towards the exit, but not before whispering within earshot of Tadashi, "I hate you."

This time, pain flashed in Tadashi's eyes.

* * *

At one of their meetings, Honey and Tadashi hung the map they took from Yama's headquarters on the wall. Each member of the Big Hero 6, excluding Hiro, was seated around a table, ready for the meeting to commence.

"Alright, so thanks to Yama, we now have the information on the locations of each gang in San Fransokyo. Yama's territory is eliminated, so we crossed his area out," Tadashi said, pointing at the crimson red X mark on the map. "We have Shan Yu's gang up north, and Hans' down south. We can easily wipe them out since we already have information on them because right now, our main focus is on Yokai's gang- the Red Sparrow."

"We have no information on him whatsoever. The guy's super low-key," GoGo stated as she chewed away at her pink bubble gum.

"Actually, I heard from the Frozen Hearts that he has his daughter Abigail, this dude named Krei, and other unknown men on his side. That's all I got though," Fredzilla said. "Also heard that they show no mercy at all. Once they find you, they'll torture you before they kill you; slow and painful."

"Tarzan managed to escape, but not without being grotesquely disfigured. Even Jane can't stand the sight of him," Wasabi stated. "All I'm saying is, don't let them catch you."

"We need more info than that," Tadashi muttered. "Any hidden passageways? Traps? Who _is_ this Abigail? This Krei? These men? _That's_ the kind of information we need to survive and attack."

"We really are doing our best to hack into their systems, but it's beyond our knowledge. Even _Hiro_ can't figure it out," Honey Lemon said.

"I see," Tadashi said calmly. "And it's not like we can just go and attack them. That would be suicide. They'll just make us watch each other get tortured because they're sadistic _bastards_ like that."

"What are we trying to get from these guys anyway?" Fredzilla asked, earning sighs of exasperation from his teammates. He never listened during meetings.

"Yokai's working on these machines he calls _Microbots_ ," Tadashi began. "With the help of a neurocranium transmitter, he can control them with one thought and make them do whatever he wants them to do. Our goal is to destroy those bots before they're completed, otherwise the Red Sparrow will surely win all territories here in San Fransokyo. Or we can take them for ourselves and get the other gangs to surrender."

"Learn how to listen," GoGo said as she rolled her eyes at the blond.

"Think strategically and make plans by tomorrow's meeting," Tadashi said as he ended the meeting.

Unbeknownst to the team, a shadowy figure had overheard, and left before any of them could see.

* * *

"The Red Sparrow was what Tadashi said," Hiro said to himself as he packed weapons and techno gadgets into his black backpack. Once he was done, he dressed in all black and tied a purple handkerchief on one of the belt holders of his pants that he was going to use later to hide his face.

Hiro watched the time on his digital clock, and left Hamada headquarters the moment it read 2:30am. He sneaked out of his room- making sure not to wake his brother up in the room next door- and quietly entered the meeting room. His eyes scanned the map before him and he memorized the directions to Yokai's territory.

" _We need more info than that."_

" _Any hidden passageways? Traps? Who is this Abigail? This Krei? These men?"_

" _That's the kind of information we need to survive and attack."_

"I'll just be in the way, he said…" Hiro said to himself somewhat sadly. But in a much cockier tone this time, he continued, "Maybe he'll finally let me come along once I come home with all the information he's looking for."

With that, Hiro disappeared into the night.

But not without dropping his purple handkerchief.

* * *

Hiro made it to Yokai's territory by 2:45am sharp. He leapt from roof to roof because he'd heard from Wasabi that travelling by ground was way too risky. He discovered that the Red Sparrow headquarters was an abandoned warehouse. It reeked of oil spills and acid and fresh blood, and somehow, that wasn't enough to make Hiro make a clean 180 and go "nope". He was so sick of having to wait for his brother and his friends to come back; not even this could push him away.

He reached for the purple handkerchief he brought along, only to realize that it wasn't there. Hiro looked down at his pants and in his bag for it, but he couldn't find it at all.

"Must've dropped it, damn," he cursed under his breath.

Forgetting about his handkerchief, Hiro found secret passageways that he listed on his gadgets, and avoided Yokai's men completely. He was a tiny kid and was able to fit into the smallest spaces, much to his advantage. Hiro travelled through the air vents and hid behind old crates and toxic bins. He wrote down whatever information he was able to catch from them.

"Krei," a female voice suddenly said. Hiro stopped his crawling. He peeked from his hiding spot, and noticed two people speaking to each other. One was a female with shoulder-length hazelnut hair, and the other was a blond male with an unusually large nose. She continued, "We cleared out Akuma Island. Not a single body has been kept alive."

"Excellent," Krei said. "Your father also wanted me to inform you that the Microbots are 85% complete."

Hiro gasped, and whispered to himself, "More than halfway complete? I gotta tell the others before it's too late."

"We'll be headed to Akuma Island later this week," he laughed darkly. "I can just _imagine_ the look on the Frozen Hearts' faces, _especially_ that asshole Hans."

"The Big Hero 6 was planning on attacking them, so they'll be in for a big surprise," the woman grinned in such a twisted manner.

"Good work, Abigail," Krei said before he left.

Once Hiro was able to regain his senses, he typed down everything he had just heard from the conversation.

"I have to hurry and tell the others," Hiro said to himself as he began packing his things. He was ready to head back and report all the information he was able to acquire-

-when an unfamiliar voice behind him caused him to freeze.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Hiro was suddenly jerked by the leg and he yelled out of complete terror.

" _Also heard that they show no mercy at all."_

" _Once they find you, they'll torture you before they kill you; slow and painful."_

Hiro struggled and tried to escape from the man's clutch with all his might, but he was just too weak. He lacked training, he lacked exercise _damn it_ , because his team would always just leave him behind and make him mess with the computers and gadgets.

" _Let go of me, you bastard-_ " Hiro screamed. He tried to reach for the dagger safely secured around his right leg, but the man seemed to have understood, and took the dagger and threw it over his shoulder. However, this didn't stop Hiro from struggling. " _Let me the hell go."_

"Now, is that any way to speak to your elders?"

Hiro felt something hard hit him in the back of his head, and before he knew it, he was enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Tadashi woke up when the exact same nightmare from yesterday clouded his dreams. He slowly got up and left the room to prepare for the meeting later today. There was no going back to sleep once he'd already woken up.

He dressed in his usual black and red attire, and left for the meeting room. Upon entering, something on the floor caught his eye.

A purple handkerchief.

* * *

Hiro woke up in a dark room, with nothing but a single lightbulb hanging above him as the only source of illumination. His arms and legs were chained to the chair he was sitting on. He tried to free himself from them, but to no avail. Hiro was starting to get worried. They would surely torture him, and right now, it was a matter of life and death.

Live, but not without being unscathed, or simply die.

"I see you've finally awakened," a dark voice said. A figure emerged from the darkness, and his reveal made Hiro's eyes widen.

"Yokai," he whispered.

Yokai laughed. "So you have done your research. You're smarter than you look, Baymax."

Hiro remained silent.

"Your gang- the Big Hero 6- is amazing, and I don't mean that sarcastically," the man said as he played with the blood-stained dagger in his hand. "Somehow, we're able to locate very single gang in the city… except for yours." Yokai walked behind the younger boy, and Hiro was too afraid to turn his head. "So, let me ask you once."

 _Thud_.

"Where are you located?"

The knife was a centimeter shy from Hiro's thin arm. Hiro refused to scream.

"You're just like him," Yokai shook his head as the knife retreated from the wood. "And by him, I mean…"

Another light bulb flicked on in front of him, revealing another person chained to a chair.

Hiro's eyes widened.

"…Your brother."

"TADASHI!" Hiro screeched as he pulled on the chains. Sitting in front of him was his older brother, who appeared to have been tortured mercilessly. His fingers appeared to have either been cut off or twisted in such a sickening manner, his chest was exposed and slashed across was the Red Sparrow's symbol, and his face had been turned black and blue and purple from the various beatings he had previously had.

Tadashi looked up at Hiro with dead eyes, but somehow still managed to give him a smile. Hiro, on the other hand, just looked downright horrified.

"I found you," Tadashi mouthed.

"Despite having the reputation as San Fransokyo's most intelligent leader, your brother just pulled the most _idiotic_ move," Yokai cackled. "Diving head first into _my_ territory? And by himself, no less!"

"Tadashi… I'm so sorry…" Hiro apologized as tears began to form in his eyes.

"Now that you've seen what pain your brother had to endure, I'm sure I'll get my answer now. If not, I'll just torture him even more," Yokai grinned sadistically. "Where are you located?"

"We… we're at…" Hiro began softly. Tadashi shook his head vigorously, but Hiro didn't want to see his brother get any more injured than he already was. He sighed, "Right behind the Lucky Cat."

"Good to know _one_ of you is smart," Yokai said as he began to walk away.

He suddenly stopped.

"Oh, but how unfair would it be to leave you unharmed when your brother had endured so much?"

 _Stab._

" _ **HIRO**_ ," Tadashi screamed at the top of his lungs. He pulled on the chains with all his might to try to escape, but he just wasn't strong enough. " _YOU BASTARD- HE'S ONLY FOURTEEN-"_

"Wasn't that the age _you_ started?" Yokai cackled before disappearing behind the door.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to escape from the chains, Tadashi scooted his chair closer to his little brother's.

"Hiro- this is all my fault- I should've-" Tadashi stuttered and cried. "If I had just let you come along- you wouldn't have- _this_ wouldn't have-"

"T-Tadashi…" Hiro choked.

"I'm here."

"I… I'm sorry."

Tadashi bit his lip to stop himself from crying. "I'm sorry too."

"They'll find you guys and it's all my fault."

"It isn't. Stop saying it is. It's mine."

"Tadashi…" Hiro looked up at his brother. "I… think this is the end for me."

" _Don't_ say that, you bonehead. You'll live," Tadashi cried. "I'll get Wasabi here right away and he'll-"

Tadashi stopped talking when Hiro shook his head.

"Thanks for taking care of me all these years," Hiro smiled. "I… I'll…"

" _See you in the next life._ "

* * *

 **A** pair of dark brown eyes opened.

"Huh…?"

A boy with black hair sat upright and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he observed his surroundings, and realized that he was sitting in the middle of a field of flowers and under a cloudless blue sky. Behind him was an extravagant castle with strong walls made of cold hard stone. His attire seemed too fancy for his taste, as it was lined with gold and silver and material he wasn't even sure of.

He couldn't remember how he got here. The last thing he could recall was a dark room echoing with dark laughter and a piercing scream and…

"Hiro, the point of hide-and-seek is to hide, and wait for me to find you. It's too easy if you just lie around in plain sight."

 _Tadashi._

Hiro's eyes widened at the voice. He whipped his head around, and was greeted by a pair of warm, dark brown eyes that mirrored his own.

"Tadashi…" Hiro whispered. Tadashi sat himself next to his brother, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you all right? You're acting like you haven't seen me in years."

"Y-yeah, I just…" Hiro ran a hand through his hair. "I just had the weirdest dream…" _Or I think it was dream…_

"Not only did you not hide, but you also fell asleep during our game. Good job, Hiro," Tadashi laughed, then began pulling out flowers from the ground.

"What are you doing?" Hiro asked as he watched his brother tie flowers of all colors together.

"I'm making a flower crown," Tadashi stated, weaving baby's breaths and stephanotises into the crown. "Our Aunt Cass taught me how to make one when she came to visit last week."

"Only you would want to learn how," Hiro laughed. Tadashi stuck out his tongue childishly before laughing along with his younger brother.

* * *

A figure stood by the window in his chamber, watching the two children play outside without a care in the world. His eyes squinted at their smiling faces, his glare darkening when his eyes laid on the older one of the two.

"Is there a problem, Your Highness?" his loyal servant, Heathcliff, asked.

"One day, Tadashi will be king," was all King Robert said, shoulders squaring. "One day, he will take my throne."

His servant said nothing, his lips in a thin, straight line. Until, "And what seems to be the matter with that? I believe he will be a great ruler."

The king laughed mockingly as Heathcliff scowled. "Don't be unrealistic. Tadashi would lead the kingdom to ruin," he said, eyes kept locked on his step-son. "I'm not letting him take away my throne."

* * *

Sometime in the evening, Tadashi was called into his step-father's study. Tadashi stood in front of his father's desk, balancing from one foot to the other nervously. His father only ever talked to him if he had done something wrong.

"Tadashi," the king suddenly said, startling Tadashi.

"Y-yes?" the boy stuttered, afraid of knowing what he had done that was so bad.

"Have you been studying?"

Tadashi was certainly taken aback by the question. "Yes, every day."

"Good," King Robert replied as he continued to stare intently into his step-son's eyes. His glare sent shivers down Tadashi's spine. "However, I realized that you have yet to experience sword-fighting and horseback riding and whatnot."

"Sword-fighting…?"

"You've been assigned to train in the next country to become a knight to serve for our family."

The world seemed to have stopped spinning.

"… _in the next country…"_

"I refuse," Tadashi said, regretting it immediately when he saw the somewhat angry expression that crossed his father's face.

"I beg your pardon?" the king spat.

"Why not here, father? Why do I have to leave?" Tadashi cried. "If I leave… Hiro will be all alone, and he won't have anyone to play with, and…" Tadashi trailed off, looking down at his feet. "I have to be here with him."

"Tadashi, I know this will be very hard for you, but…" the king stood up from his seat, and walked over to Tadashi. He placed a hand on his step-son's shoulder. "Wouldn't you do anything to keep Hiro safe?"

Tadashi looked up at his father, and nodded. "Yes, father."

"You are to leave in three days," the king said, turning away from him. "Be sure to pack everything you need."

* * *

"You're leaving?" Hiro asked as tears began to form in his eyes. Hiro followed his brother around, who helped the castle's servants carry some of his luggage into a carriage.

Tadashi smiled down at his younger brother. "Yes, but I won't be gone for long."

"Where are you going?" Hiro asked, tilting his head slightly to the left.

"I'm going to another country to train. Father expects me to become a great knight when I come back so that I could protect our family when something goes wrong," Tadashi explained as he threw one of his suitcases into the carriage.

"Can you train today and come back tomorrow?" Hiro asked, and Tadashi wanted to cry because his brother was so innocent.

Instead, Tadashi chuckled. "I'm afraid that's not how it works, Hiro."

"Then I'll make father change his mind!" Hiro screamed, pointing over at the window of his step-father's bedroom. "I'll train you so you don't have to go!"

"Hiro, this is a very important duty given to me. I have to leave," Tadashi explained.

Hiro pouted and looked down. A few tears fell from his eyes and stained the dirt beneath his feet. "But I don't want you to go…"

Tadashi smiled, and brought a hand up to pat his brother on the head. This caused Hiro to look up. "I won't take long, Hiro. I'll be back before you know it."

"You promise?" Hiro asked, holding up his pinky.

Tadashi chuckled, holding his pinky to intertwine it with his brother's. "I promise."

"It is time to go now, Your Highness," a servant said as they bowed with respect.

Tadashi nodded, and thanked the servant as he stood up. Before hopping into the carriage, Tadashi turned to his brother one last time. Hiro wiped away his falling tears with a hand, while the other waved goodbye.

"Hiro," Tadashi smiled, digging a hand in his pocket. "Catch."

Tadashi threw the item at his brother, who clumsily caught it. It was a golden hunter-case pocket watch with a crown carefully molded on its cover, and a golden chain dangling from the top. Hiro looked down at the watch with complete wonder, before looking back up at his smiling brother.

"Keep it until I get back," Tadashi smiled as he closed the carriage door shut. "Goodbye, Hiro."

And with that, the carriage left, separating both brothers.

"Bye, Tadashi! Get back soon! I'll be waiting for you!" Hiro cried, waving a hand in the air, while the other clutched his brother's goodbye gift tightly. When the carriage was no longer in sight, Hiro lowered his hand slowly. "Please hurry back…"

* * *

Five years had passed since Tadashi left. King Robert lived in peace, knowing that Tadashi wasn't there to take away his throne. However, things did not go as planned when he was struck with a terrible illness.

"Father…" thirteen-year-old Hiro said worriedly as he sat himself down on a chair next to his step-father's bed.

King Robert coughed violently. "H-Hiro…" he choked.

"I'm here," Hiro assured. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't think I'll last any longer."

"Don't say that. You'll be all right."

The king coughed once more. "You will be the new successor."

"Wh-what?" Hiro asked. "I don't know how to rule a country! I haven't been taught anything about-"

"You will be taught," King Robert interrupted. "Please, Hiro. You are the only family I have left. You are the only one left to inherit the throne."

"But Tadashi…"

"He's training to become a knight, not a king."

Hiro nodded warily. "I understand, father."

When Hiro left the room, Heathcliff entered to provide King Robert his food and medication.

"You're leaving the country with a thirteen-year-old ruler," Heathcliff stated as he placed the tray in his hands on the king's side table. "If you didn't send Tadashi away, at least the country would have a ruler who knows what to do and how to do it."

King Robert scowled. "You know why I had to send him away."

"Yes, and it was very selfish and despicable of you."

King Robert remained silent for the rest of the day because Heathcliff was right.

He was leaving his country in the hands of a thirteen-year-old child.

* * *

The king died two days later, and responsibilities upon responsibilities piled up on Prince Hiro's desk. There was no more time for playing. He had to grow up immediately; the whole country had their faith in him after all.

Hiro walked through the grand hall, greeting the dukes and duchesses from various countries. Although they gave him smiles and compliments, he would overhear them talking badly of him once he left. None of them were very subtle; he was always within earshot.

"How could this immature _child_ rule this entire kingdom?"

"He's going to break down. This is too much work for such a _little boy_."

"The king left _him_ in charge? How foolish."

"The kingdom will be left in ruin if _he_ is to remain ruler."

After thanking the last of the guests, Hiro exited the grand hall and made his way back to his chambers. He sat on the floor with his back against the door, his hands covering his ears as he tried to mute the words of his visitors that echoed in his mind endlessly.

"Stop it… Please stop…" Hiro whispered to himself as an attempt to mute the voices inside his head. "Stop…"

* * *

After hearing the complaints of the dukes and duchesses from the party, Prince Hiro had become the kindest of rulers during his first year of ruling to try to earn their respect and approval. He lowered the taxes, raised the salaries, and had offered bread graciously to those who needed some. However, the villagers had taken advantage of his kindness. They would pretend they were out of bread when they were perfectly well-fed, and speak badly of the prince afterwards; calling him stupid and immensely gullible.

Hiro had overheard one day, and upon realizing that this only made them bring him down even more, he stopped giving bread. When villagers would come to beg for some, he would reply, "That is none of my concern."

The stress, the depression of losing his entire family, and being told that he was a terrible ruler made Hiro fall into a downwards spiral.

Until one day, he finally snapped.

The same month he stopped giving bread, he increased the taxes by more than thirty percent, and decreased the salaries drastically. He would buy expensive furniture and clothes with the taxes he received. Every time a villager talked back to him, they were sentenced to death or put in the dungeon. He had had enough of their ungratefulness.

Now, it was their turn to suffer.

* * *

Hiro dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out a familiar golden pocket watch given to him by his older brother from many years ago.

" _Hiro, this is a very important duty given to me. I have to leave," Tadashi explained._

 _Hiro pouted and looked down. A few tears fell from his eyes and stained the dirt beneath his feet. "But I don't want you to go…"_

 _Tadashi smiled, and brought a hand up to pat his brother on the head. This caused Hiro to look up. "I won't take long, Hiro. I'll be back before you know it."_

"It's been six years…" Hiro said as he played with the golden chain. "I'm still waiting, Tadashi."

 _Knock, knock, knock._

"Your Highness, the villagers are expecting you," Heathcliff called from the other side of the door.

Hiro scoffed. "So hopeless."

* * *

"Your Highness, please, I beg of you," a man dressed in rags pleaded on his knees. "I beg of you; please spare one loaf of bread for my family and I!"

Hiro rolled his eyes. "You expect _me_ to give you a loaf of bread _just like that_?"

"I'll pay you back, I swear!" the man begged, clasping his hands together.

Hiro waved a hand, telling his guards, "Take him away. I don't have time for such nonsense."

As the guards carried the crying villager away, the man continued to yell, "Please! I have a wife and four children! We'll all starve to death at this rate!"

"This is what you get for wasting all your money!" Hiro answered back.

"He didn't waste his money," the next person in line said timidly. "He can't afford it because our taxes are too high."

Hiro stomped a foot. "You _dare_ talk this way to me?!" he yelled, unfazed by the terrified look on the woman's face. "Guards, take her away!"

"No!" the villager yelled in distress. "Please! Forgive me! I didn't mean to!"

"You should all be thankful I didn't take your homes away from you!" Hiro screamed, his voice echoing throughout the grand hall. The villagers all shook in fear. "I'm done for today. Take all your troubles elsewhere."

Before leaving the room, Hiro overheard a villager say, "He truly is the Son of Evil."

* * *

Tadashi performed a dodge roll right before a sword came in contact with his chest. He jumped back to his feet and sent an attack of his own, but his opponent seemed to have seen it coming, and she blocked it with her own sword. Tadashi jumped meters back, and this time, waited for his opponent to strike. When she did, Tadashi ducked under her sword and kicked it right out of her hands.

The person he was up against was quick on her feet, however, and ran over to her sword just in time to block another one of Tadashi's attack. She rose to her feet and sent quick and powerful blows, nearly knocking Tadashi to the ground.

"Is this the best you can do?" she smirked, blowing a strand of black hair away from her face.

Tadashi definitely wasn't the type to give up. With all the force he could exert, at the exact moment the woman made a strike with her sword, Tadashi made an upwards blow to it, sending the weapon flying in the air. He then kicked her to the ground and pointed the sword at her face.

"No, _this_ is," he said cheekily. As if on cue, the woman's sword stabbed the ground inches away from her throat, making her raise her hands in surrender.

Smiling, Tadashi held his hand out for her to take, but she simply shrugged it off.

"I can stand on my own," she replied, pushing his hand away. She pulled her sword out of the dirt and placed it in her scabbard. She turned to Tadashi. "Good work today."

"Thank you, ma'am," Tadashi said politely.

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" she asked. "I may be your teacher, but I'm also your friend. You know that, right?"

"I know, but-" Tadashi began.

"No buts. It's GoGo even during practice. Calling me ma'am makes me sound old."

"But you _are_ older than me."

"You look the oldest between the two of us."

"It's because you're short."

GoGo squinted her eyes. "Why, you little-"

"Are you two arguing _again_?" a blond woman asked as she entered the training grounds.

"He started it," GoGo argued childishly despite her age. "Come on, Honey, I thought you raised him better than that."

The look of offense on Tadashi's face was enough to make Honey Lemon laugh.

"Okay, okay, that's enough, you two," she smiled. "Would you two like some tea?"

GoGo made a thinking pose. "Hm, sure. We've had enough for one day," she replied as she made her way to her friend's side. She turned to her student, nodding her head for him to join them. "Come on, kid. You deserve a break too, you know."

Tadashi grinned and ran over to his teachers. They began walking in the direction of Honey's home, with both women leading and Tadashi trailing behind.

"Have you finished studying your latest book?" Honey Lemon asked. GoGo scoffed the moment she finished her sentence. Honey pursed her lips at her. "Do you have anything against books?"

GoGo threw her arms behind her head. "No, it's just…" she began, snickering. "Physical training is so much more useful than reading those old things."

"It is not!" Honey Lemon argued. "With books, you can learn how to analyze the physical and mental-"

GoGo yawned, cutting her friend off.

After composing herself and ignoring GoGo's rudeness, Honey turned to her student. "I'm sorry. Let me ask again; have you finished studying your latest book?"

"Yes, I have," Tadashi nodded. "Are there any more?"

Honey shook her head. "That was the last one. Your training's finally complete."

GoGo's arms fell to her sides upon hearing those words. "It really is over…" she sighed, turning to Tadashi with a sad smile on her face. "Time goes by fast, doesn't it?"

The three made it to Honey Lemon's house by sunset. They climbed up the stairs and into Tadashi's room to get to the balcony. Honey had given him the nicest room in her home because she knew he had been through a lot before arriving to this town. She wanted him to at least enjoy his stay, if only a little.

Tadashi, GoGo and Honey Lemon all sat around the little table out on the balcony. Honey left the room to prepare the tea downstairs for her two friends, telling them that she was going to return shortly.

"You've gotten better at blocking," GoGo said, earning a 'thank you' from her student. She then leaned back on her chair and placed her legs on the balcony's railing. "I still remember the very first day you arrived. You looked so scared and weak; I had to do my best to not laugh."

Tadashi scowled. "I couldn't have looked _that_ scared…" he muttered.

"Oh, but you were!" she cackled. "I was at a loss for words. I had eight-year-old students who weren't afraid to clash swords with me, and then came in a little twelve-year-old boy who looked like he hadn't worked a day in his life…" Tadashi was about to protest, when GoGo continued before he had a chance to. "And _he_ turned into my best student."

GoGo took her legs off the railings and turned to Tadashi. She had a soft expression on her face, and Tadashi was certain that this was the first time he had ever seen her display such an expression.

"Tadashi, I know you came here to train to be a knight so that you could protect your little brother and all, but…" she clenched her formidable fists. "Don't leave."

Tadashi's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting this at all.

The way his teacher said it made him want to stay so badly. He had lived in peace throughout all these years and he had met so many kind people, he didn't want to throw it away. But Hiro was waiting for him back home, and he couldn't break his promise to him.

"GoGo, I really do want to stay, but…" Tadashi's stomach dropped when he saw the look of disappointment on her face. "I don't have a choice."

GoGo hit the table with the bottom of her fist. "What do you mean you don't have a choice?!" she yelled. "Of course you do! Everyone has a choice!"

"I know, but Hiro-" Tadashi began before being cut off by the angry swordswoman.

"Enough about Hiro!" she screamed. "Every single _damn_ day, these past six years, all that came out from you was Hiro this, Hiro that. _Enough_. What do _you_ want to do?!" she screamed even louder, getting up from her seat.

"You don't understand! I _have_ to go back!" Tadashi screamed equally as loud.

" _No_ , you don't-"

"I came into this town to train these past six years for a reason, and it's to go back to protect the ones I love! It's not something someone as selfish as _you_ would understand-" Tadashi covered his mouth, but it was too late; the words had already escaped from his mouth.

"You know what, _fine_. Leave; see if I care," GoGo said as she walked away in the direction of the exit.

"GoGo, don't… I'm sorry, I-"

"You know what, Tadashi?" she interrupted, her back facing him. "I was wrong. You're still as weak as the little boy who first came here." With that, she disappeared down the stairs, leaving Tadashi to bury his face in his hands for his shameful words.

Seconds later, Honey Lemon sat herself down on the seat next to Tadashi and placed the tray with the teapot and teacups on the table. Tadashi looked up at his teacher with a frown on his face.

"She only said that because she doesn't want you to go," Honey Lemon said with a sympathetic look on her face. She poured some tea for Tadashi and herself.

"I know," Tadashi said, smiling sadly as he took a sip of tea.

Honey Lemon placed her soft hands on top of Tadashi's calloused ones. Tadashi looked up to find her smiling at him with hope-filled eyes.

"Stay," she told him.

"I want to, Honey, but…" Honey Lemon's smile faded. "I can't."

Honey's hand retreated. "I figured you'd say that," she smiled sadly. "The carriage will be here to pick you up in two days. If I were you, I'd start packing."

The two finished their tea in silence. When both of their cups were finally empty, Honey Lemon got up from her seat and placed the empty teapot and teacups on the tray, then left Tadashi all by himself on the balcony.

Tadashi looked up at the starry sky, and thought over his decision. He had made such great friends during his stay in this country, and he had learned so much from the very best. He wanted to stay; he really, really did. But he came into this country for a reason.

He knew he had to leave.

* * *

Two days had passed, and before they knew it, Tadashi was already throwing his things into the carriage that would return him to his hometown. Honey Lemon was shedding tears, while GoGo refused to show any hint of sadness at all.

"I guess this is where it ends," Tadashi said, smiling sadly at his two teachers. "I can't thank you two enough for your help, Leiko, Aiko."

The two women's eyes widened; Tadashi hadn't called them by their real names in years. This made both GoGo (Leiko) and Honey Lemon (Aiko) even sadder, as it made them realize just how close and how attached they had gotten to the boy.

"Well… Thank _you_ for allowing us to teach you. It's been an honor. If you weren't already destined to become a knight- or a servant as GoGo calls it- you would've been a great ruler," Honey Lemon smiled.

"Thank you, that really means a lot," Tadashi said. "I'll miss you very much." He then looked down at GoGo, half-expecting a little speech from her as well.

GoGo noticed this and looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "What?"

Honey Lemon gave her a look of disapproval.

Tadashi laughed. "I'll miss you, GoGo. Thank you for teaching me how to fight and defend myself. I know I'll be all right because I learned from the very best," he said, not failing to see the pink appear on the swordswoman's cheeks.

He quickly gave both women a peck on the cheek, and hopped into the white carriage afterwards. He stuck his head out the window when the carriage began to move in order to get final looks at his mentors. He stuck his hand out as well, waving it madly.

"Goodbye, Honey Lemon! Goodbye, GoGo!" he yelled, cupping his mouth with his free hand.

"Bye, Tadashi! Come back anytime!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, waving goodbye to her student. She looked down at GoGo, who had her arms crossed and head turned to the side to avoid Tadashi. Honey nudged her roughly, shocking GoGo in the process; she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"What?" GoGo spat. Honey Lemon gave her a look. Sighing, GoGo made a two-finger salute at her student. "See you, kid."

"I'll come visit when I have the time, I promise!" Tadashi called out to them. Before they were out of sight, he shouted one last time, "Thank you for everything!"

* * *

Tadashi stood in front of the castle's entrance, enchanted by how big it was. It was a lot grander and beautiful than he remembered (well, it _had_ been over five years since he was here). He had forgotten how well the stone mixed with the brick, and how it seemed to reach out to the skies above.

With a deep breath, Tadashi walked up the stairs and opened the pearl while doors both at once. He walked down the halls of the majestic palace, amazed at all the expensive furniture and at the perfectly waxed marble floors.

When he finally reached the grand hall, there, standing with his back facing him, was a young boy who appeared to be looking up at the family portrait hanging up on the stainless white wall. He was quite short in height; in fact, it looked as though he were shorter than GoGo. His clothing mostly consisted of the colors black, red and navy blue, which were awfully unusual for a ruler to wear. His hair was of the color black and was messy and untamed, and with just that, Tadashi knew exactly who it was.

Once he finished his observation, Tadashi approached him. He stopped three meters away and bowed down respectfully, just as he had studied from Honey Lemon's books.

"It's been a while… Hiro," Tadashi said with a genuine smile as he faced downwards and closed his eyes.

"Tadashi," came the whispered reply. Tadashi got back up on his two feet and smiled down at his little brother.

Without warning, Hiro flung himself on his older brother, and the two went crashing to the marble floors.

"You came back!" Hiro exclaimed as tears poured out of his dark brown eyes. Tadashi was shocked after the fall, but it soon faded into a smile as he hugged his brother back.

"I'm back," Tadashi smiled.

* * *

Despite the fact that Tadashi was back to bring happiness into Hiro's life once more, the young ruler did not change his ways. The taxes were still very high, the salaries very low, and the money he earned would be spent on over-priced items.

"Hiro, I think you should lower the taxes," Tadashi said one day while he and Hiro were spending their three o'clock snack time together.

Hiro dropped his fork noisily on the plate. "What are you talking about? The taxes don't need to be lowered. It's perfectly fair," he replied stubbornly.

Tadashi shook his head. "No, it's not. There are families dying of starvation out there. The ruler in the country I trained in-"

"Enough about that country!" Hiro yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "You talk too often about it! I don't care how well the villagers in that country were treated, and I don't care about the friends you've made! You're in _my_ country now, whether you like it or not!" With that, he stomped out of the room, leaving Tadashi behind.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" Tadashi asked himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose, recalling the argument he had with GoGo before he left his former home.

Tadashi stayed in his spot for the next hour or so, admiring the view of the country. He saw little children playing without a care in the world down below in the streets, lovers holding hands, and families simply spending quality time together. But what caught his eye was a pair of two little brothers chasing each other around the flower field.

Tadashi looked down at the two children, frowning. "You've changed so much," he sighed.

Moments later, a servant entered the room to pick up the tray of tea and snacks. Tadashi kindly thanked the old man, and offered to carry it for him instead.

While he followed behind, Tadashi suddenly asked, "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but is your name… Heathcliff?"

The old man halted to a stop. He turned around to give the knight a small bow.

"Yes," he replied simply. "You're Prince Tadashi, if I'm not mistaken."

Tadashi grinned. "That's right! It's so good to see you again, Heathcliff. It's been so long!"

Heathcliff nodded. "Likewise," he said, and turned back around to lead Tadashi into the kitchen.

Both remained silent during their walk, until Tadashi decided to break the ice a second time.

"Hiro's… changed a lot," he said softly.

"Of course he has. Loneliness, stress and depression all drove him insane. He refuses to be corrected."

"What happened exactly?" Tadashi asked, halting to a stop, for they had just reached their destination. Heathcliff took the tray out of Tadashi's hands.

"It's a long story."

With that final said, Heathcliff entered through the kitchen doors, leaving Tadashi all by himself to wonder how exactly his brother had gone from innocent to completely mad.

Something deep inside of him told him that it was his fault, and another part told him that it was his father's.

But he believed the former.

(Because he never was the type to push the blame on others).

* * *

In contrast to his little brother, Tadashi was kind and did his very best to correct his brother. When his advice didn't reach him, Tadashi would take things into his own hands and do whatever it took to help the suffering citizens. He would disguise himself and give bread and money to the poor, and he would offer help whenever he felt someone needed some.

However, Hiro wasn't dumb or oblivious. He knew what his older brother was doing, and so for disobeying him, Hiro would punish those Tadashi helped as revenge, knowing that this would hurt Tadashi even more than if he punished Tadashi directly.

After three years of trying to correct his younger brother, nothing seemed to have worked, and Tadashi had finally given up. He began doing everything Hiro wanted to not upset him or make him frown any further, thus dubbing him as his evil servant, rather than the title of noble knight as he had always dreamed of.

But Tadashi decided that sacrificing his own dreams were worth it if it meant he could see Hiro smile.

The villagers watched as both brothers exited the grand hall without paying mind to any of their problems. However, all eyes were on Tadashi this time.

Before he exited through the doors, Tadashi's heart dropped when he had overheard a few villagers say,

"He really is a dreadful-"

"-horrible-"

"Servant of Evil."

* * *

At eighteen years old, Hiro looked just like his older brother, with the smallest of differences setting them apart. Hiro's hair remained as messy as always, while Tadashi's was pushed back and tied together in a ponytail. Tadashi measured not more than three inches more than Hiro, and the little gap in Hiro's teeth were the final things that made all the difference.

"Tadashi, where are you going?" Hiro asked as he scanned his sibling's peasant clothing.

"I'm going to the neighboring country to see my friends," Tadashi smiled.

Hiro scowled. "You've been going there every month for the past three years, isn't that enough?" he asked.

Tadashi shook his head. "They mean a lot to me. I want to go see them. I'll be back by nighttime," his servant replied, and left for the carriage waiting for him outside.

Hiro watched the carriage go until it was out of sight with jealousy filling his black heart.

* * *

"Tadashi, you can't keep doing what Hiro wants you to do," Honey Lemon said worriedly. "His intentions are terrible. Not feeding the poor? Raising the taxes? What kind of ruler is that?"

"You can't seriously be all right with this. The Tadashi I know is the kindest, most pure-hearted person ever, and would never allow this. At least do _something_ ," GoGo said as she stuffed her face with cakes and sandwiches.

"GoGo, please," Honey said.

"Let me eat, I had the longest day," GoGo replied with her mouth full.

"I _have_ been doing something. I've been trying to correct him for the longest time, and I even went out of my way to disobey him and help the villagers. But it backfires each time, remember?" he asked sadly. "Hiro's cunning. He just… _knows_. The villagers I helped were either captured or killed or forced to do more work. I have no choice but to obey him or else other people will get hurt."

GoGo rolled her eyes. "There you go again with that 'I have no choice' crap…"

"I know his decisions aren't the best, but…" Tadashi began softly. "Hiro's my little brother. He means more than the whole world to me."

"Tadashi…" Honey Lemon frowned.

"I'd do anything to protect him, even if that meant I'd have to become evil."

* * *

Upon returning home, Tadashi found Hiro sitting in his throne with a red rose in his delicate hands. Tadashi approached the ruler, and bowed down respectfully before him.

"I've returned," Tadashi stated. He lifted himself from his kneeling position and eyed the rose in his sibling's hands. Hiro noticed Tadashi's gaze, and smiled evilly.

"So you haven't heard…" Hiro said, making Tadashi's face twist with confusion.

"What have I not heard?" he asked. Tadashi gulped when he saw the evil glint in Hiro's eyes.

"We've declared war on the country you came from," Hiro said as he crushed the rose in his hands.

Tadashi's eyes widened.

"You… _you didn't_ ," Tadashi said, clenching his fists with such force that his knuckles were turning white. "My _friends_ are there!"

"Tadashi," Hiro said coldly. "What were you trained to do these past several years?"

The words from Honey Lemon's books all appeared in Tadashi's head, striking fear and anger in his heart.

 _Obey your ruler no matter what._

He didn't want Honey Lemon or GoGo to die; he didn't want poor innocent civilians dying at the hands of his little brother.

But Hiro was the prince, and Tadashi was the servant.

With his heart slowly shattering into tiny pieces, Tadashi bowed before his ruler, and choked, "Anything for you, Hiro."

* * *

The two countries got into a great war, killing thousands of innocent villagers. Houses were burned to the ground, people were killed mercilessly, resources were stolen or destroyed, and all because of a jealous ruler. Hiro's country had won the battle, leaving the villagers in the targeted country to suffer greatly.

However, the two suffering the greatest were a swordswoman and a servant.

GoGo stood in front of a grave, reading the name carved on the wood over and over with a broken expression on her face. In her hand was a single yellow rose, its petals soaking wet not from morning dew, but from the tears falling from the swordswoman's eyes.

Tadashi was approaching his friend's grave with a yellow rose of his own, but stopped walking when GoGo suddenly said, " _Don't_ come any closer."

"GoGo, I'm sorry…" Tadashi frowned.

"Because of your _evil_ little brother, Honey Lemon now lies six feet under," she spat. "I didn't think _you'd_ participate in his evil schemes." Tadashi remained silent. "We trained you for six years. Six. I usually give up on someone after the second. But then you came and… I saw something in you, you know? I _wanted_ to turn you into the best, into the strongest, bravest, and kindest. _Aiko_ wanted to as well."

She turned to face him with tearful, angry eyes. "You turned out to be such a _waste_."

"GoGo, I-"

"Save it," she snarled, turning herself back around to set the rose on the grave. "And don't ever come back. We're no longer friends. You're no longer my student. You mean nothing to me now."

Nodding, Tadashi placed the yellow rose at his feet and began walking away with tears in his eyes.

This wasn't what he wanted.

"That's right; leave. You aren't welcome here ever again," GoGo called out to him. "You Servant of Evil."

* * *

Angered by Hiro and the death of her best friend, GoGo took matters into her own hands. She travelled to Hiro's country, determined to bring an end to this tyrant. Together, she and the villagers from this country and some from hers decided to start a Revolution to bring an end to this suffering.

Tadashi had overheard villagers talking about it while running errands and ran all the way back to the castle as fast as his legs could carry him. He rushed all the servants out of the castle, telling them to escape while they can because none of them deserved to get hurt. When he managed to help the old maids and old butlers out of the castle, Tadashi ran into his bedroom, hoping to find something in there that would help him find a way to save his brother.

He eventually did, and went straight to work. He didn't have much time, for the Revolution was starting this afternoon.

Suddenly, Tadashi heard a knock on his door. He opened it up to find the castle's oldest servant, Heathcliff.

"Heathcliff? What are you still doing here?" Tadashi asked worriedly. "Hurry and escape before the villagers attack. I don't want you to get hurt." Tadashi smiled as he continued to search anything in his closet that looked similar to Hiro's clothes.

"You should escape while you can as well, Tadashi," the old servant replied as he watched the prince rummage through his entire closet. "Both you and Hiro."

Tadashi shook his head. "If we both run away, the entire kingdom won't rest until Hiro's been found. I trained day and night for nine years to be able to protect him. I'm not backing down when he needs me the most."

Heathcliff shook his head sadly. If it weren't for the former king's jealousy and selfishness, Tadashi would've been able to lead this country into succession. It was such a shame, such a loss.

"If _you_ do not escape, the two of you will surely be captured."

Tadashi clutched his fist. "Only one of us will be."

Heathcliff looked down, knowing full well who was going to be the survivor of the two. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?" He walked out of the room, and returned shortly after with a little chest. He opened it, revealing a neatly folded set of king's attire. "You were supposed to be king."

Tadashi's eyes widened for a split second. "Father…" he sighed. Heathcliff nodded as Tadashi took the chest out of his hands.

Heathcliff then bowed. "I thank you, Sire, for allowing me to work here. It was an honor working in this palace for many years."

"Thank you, Heathcliff. It was an honor having you work here."

Heathcliff smiled, and Tadashi believes that this was the first time he had ever seen him do so.

"And it was an honor serving for you."

Heathcliff turned around and walked through the doors of Tadashi's bedroom, when he suddenly stopped. He hurried back to Tadashi's room to give him one last piece of vital information.

"My Prince, one more thing," Heathcliff said, catching Tadashi's attention. "The cabinet in your brother's room…"

* * *

Hiro looked out the window, and watched as the villagers attacked his guards relentlessly. Despite all the many years the guards have spent training, they were exhausted from the last war and were no match for the colossal wave of rage-driven people from this village and the next. Hiro saw many enter through the castle's gates, and he just stood in his place, waiting for them to come and capture him.

"This… is it," he said to himself sadly.

The door suddenly flew open, and Hiro turned around, ready to face defeat, when his eyes widened at the sight of Tadashi wearing clothes identical to that of his rather than his usual servant uniform.

"Tadashi, what are you…" Hiro began, trailing off when Tadashi held up a servant uniform that looked too small to fit his muscular built.

"Hiro, there isn't much time," Tadashi said, holding his clothes out for his brother to take. Hiro took them out of his brother's hands and looked down at them in confusion.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Those are my old clothes. Put them on and run. Get out of here before they find you," Tadashi said, smiling sadly. "Just leave; go somewhere far away. Don't stop, don't look back, and don't talk to anyone."

"What are you talking about?!" Hiro yelled, frustrated over the fact that his brother kept ignoring his questions. "What do you plan on doing?!"

"I'm taking your place."

Hiro's whole world stopped spinning.

"Tadashi… no… you can't…" Hiro mumbled as tears began rolling down his cheeks. "I'm not going to let you- you can't- if they find out that it's you and not me, they'll-"

"You grew up to look just like me," Tadashi smiled, patting his brother on the head. "They won't be able to tell the difference."

"But our hair-"

Before Hiro could finish his sentence, Tadashi pulled on his ponytail, and chopped off his locks with the sword attached to his belt. He dropped his sword and his hair on the floor, ruffled it to match Hiro's untamed hair, and smiled at his little brother, who just stared in terror. If it weren't for the three extra inches Tadashi had, they could've been clones.

" _Now_ they wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"No…" Hiro whispered. "Tadashi, I can't let you-"

Tadashi pulled his brother into a tight embrace, and whispered in his ear, "I promised you I'd always protect you."

The villagers were getting closer to the room now; their voices and footsteps could be heard beyond the door. Tadashi took his brother's wrist and dragged him all the way to the end of the room, where they were facing a tall cabinet. Tadashi pushed the cabinet to reveal a secret passageway that lead outside.

"Escape through here, change your clothes, and leave only when everyone is gone," Tadashi said as he pushed Hiro inside.

Before Tadashi pushed the cabinet to hide the tunnel, Hiro said, "Tadashi."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for everything."

Tadashi smiled, and pushed the cabinet in place just before the door broke down.

Hiro knew he couldn't change his brother's mind. If _he_ didn't leave, then both of them would get killed. He didn't want everything Tadashi's had done so far to go to waste. He grabbed his brother's clothes, and slowly crept down the stairs as tears fell endlessly down his face.

On the other side of the cabinet, the swordswoman from the neighboring country was the one who broke the door down. She pointed the sword at the prince's face and said, "Surrender now, you Son of Evil-"

Her eyes widened.

The one standing in front of her wasn't the Son of Evil, but instead, the Servant.

She knew how similar the two were from the portraits Tadashi showed her of his brother, but there was no mistaking that this was Tadashi. He lived with her for over five years; she ought to know the difference between both brothers.

'Prince Hiro' lifted his hands up in surrender with a sad smile on his face.

He didn't speak a word because he was certain GoGo knew that it was him.

* * *

Tadashi sat in his jail cell, looking down at the ground with a dead expression on his face. He was sentenced to die at three in the afternoon.

Hiro was probably long gone by now.

That was when it hit him.

If only he had kept trying to correct Hiro, then none of this would have happened. If only he hadn't given up so easily.

He was to blame for all of this.

"It's time," said a guard as he unlocked the cell.

Tadashi nodded.

* * *

Tadashi stared solemnly at the guillotine before him. The crowd in front of him cheered endlessly with evil smiles on their faces, all awaiting the end of 'Prince Hiro''s life. Standing at the very front of the stage was the one who trained him all childhood and one of his very first friends, GoGo. She was facing him with a fierce expression on her face, but her tearful eyes showed otherwise.

"Thank you," he mouthed to her. GoGo's eyes widened and her lip trembled; she had to turn around to hide the pain on her face.

" _Hiro's my little brother."_

" _He means more than the whole world to me."_

" _I'd do anything to protect him, even if that meant I'd have to become evil."_

GoGo clenched her fists.

Tadashi made his way over to the guillotine, and knelt down before it. He rested his head on the guillotine's lunette, and waited for the blade to fall and end his life.

While he scanned the crowd before him, his half-lidded eyes widened at the sight of the person standing at the very front.

"Hiro…"

He was wearing the servant clothes he gave him, and had on a long black cape with a hood over his head. He clutched the pocket watch Tadashi had given him years ago tightly in his hands, which was soon to be the only thing Hiro would have left of his brother. Tears formed in his eyes, and he was biting his lip to stop himself from sobbing.

"It's okay. Don't cry," Tadashi mouthed.

Hiro nodded, but disobeyed his brother's words when he let out a sob.

Tadashi laughed. "Why do you always do the opposite of what I tell you?"

"HERE'S TO A NEW AGE!" a voice suddenly boomed. "THIS IS WHERE YOU MEET YOUR END, YOU SON OF EVIL!"

Hiro watched in horror as the blade drew closer and closer to his brother's neck.

But just before the blade sliced his flesh and bones, Tadashi smiled down at his brother and mouthed,

" _See you in the next life."_

* * *

 _Beep… Beep… Beep…_

 **A** pair of dark brown eyes opened.

Tadashi had awoken due to the sound of continuous beeping and a hand shaking him awake. He lifted his head from the bed covers, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and turned to the person who woke him up.

It was a nurse, and upon eye contact, she asked him, "Are you all right?"

"Me? I'm all right, why?" Tadashi asked in confusion.

The nurse straightened her back, her look of concern turning into that of relief. She continued, "It looked like you were having a nightmare."

"Oh, so it was all just a dream…" Tadashi said to himself as he placed a hand on his forehead. "It felt so real though…"

The nurse then cleared her throat, catching Tadashi's attention. "I also came in to tell you that visiting hours are over. But I'll give you an extra ten minutes to pack up your stuff and say goodbye to your little brother," she said kindly. With that final said, she left the room.

When the door closed, Tadashi turned around and smiled at the sight of his little brother sleeping peacefully. Hiro was attached to all kinds of machines that stood against the wall of the little hospital room, and upon laying his eyes on them, Tadashi frowned.

In short, Hiro was sick.

" _He has a very rare disease. Its cure is currently unknown."_

Hiro's eyes suddenly fluttered open. He smiled when his eyes landed on Tadashi, and he said in all his innocent glory, "Are you my doctor?"

" _The sickness has spread through his brain. He may be experiencing memory loss and hallucinations."_

Tadashi smiled despite his broken heart. He shook his head, "I'm Tadashi, your older brother. Do you remember me?"

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed. "The nurse said something about a brother… or was it my doctor…" Hiro said as he made a thinking pose.

" _In not too long, the disease will spread through his whole body, preventing him from performing everyday tasks."_

Laughing, Tadashi stood up and stretched his arms out. He slipped on his black fur-hooded winter jacket and wrapped his red scarf around his neck before he slung his heavy backpack over his shoulder. Grinning, he ruffled his little brother's hair.

"See you tomorrow, bonehead."

" _He has less than three months left to live."_

* * *

Tadashi walked all the way home while looking up at the starry night sky above him. One would think he was admiring the stars and the shining moon, but all his thoughts went to his younger brother. He knew this day would come. Hiro had been in and out of hospitals his whole childhood.

Tadashi was so invested in his thoughts he didn't hear someone call his name three times. He snapped out of his thoughts when someone slapped the back of his head.

"Ow!" Tadashi yelped. "What the heck was tha-" Tadashi stopped mid-sentence when his eyes landed on the short Asian girl standing behind him; the one who delivered the slap. The girl in question had short black hair with a violet streak, and her eyes were dark brown and filled with annoyance.

"GoGo," Tadashi said as he rubbed the burning spot on the back of his head. "You- ow- hi."

GoGo rolled her eyes. "Hey," she said. "Heading home?"

"Yeah," Tadashi smiled. He knew that was GoGo's way of telling him she was going to tag along. The two began in the direction of the Lucky Cat Café, clouds forming at their mouths whenever they breathed out the chilly winter air.

She blew a pink bubble, and popped it. "How's med school?" GoGo suddenly asked.

"It's good," Tadashi replied simply. He sighed, "I do miss SFIT though."

"It gets pretty lonely in the lab without you."

"Hm," Tadashi replied. Switching subjects, Tadashi laughed and told her, "You really didn't have to hit me, you know."

GoGo rolled her eyes for the second time. "I called your name three times, idiot."

Tadashi blinked. "Really? How did I not…"

"You were thinking about Hiro."

"No, I wasn't-"

"That wasn't a question."

Tadashi remained silent after GoGo's last sentence because she was right, and she already has been. She could see right through him (or maybe Tadashi was just one of those people who were too easy to read).

Tadashi looked down. "He… Hiro isn't getting any better," he said, his voice dripping with sadness. "His memory's getting worse. I have to remind him who I am sometimes."

GoGo remained silent at this.

"They said they haven't found a cure yet," Tadashi sighed.

"You'll be working on that once you graduate med, if I'm not mistaken," GoGo said as they approached the Lucky Cat Café.

"Once I graduate, it'll already be too late."

They made it to the entrance of the café the exact moment Tadashi finished his sentence. GoGo just stared at her best friend with wide eyes, while Tadashi avoided her gaze by looking down at his shoes.

"I gave SFIT up to get into med… I picked up two jobs to help Aunt Cass pay for the house and the hospital bills… I get not more than four hours of sleep a night…" Tadashi listed. "I'm sacrificing so much…"

"Tadashi…" GoGo frowned.

"And in the end, I can't even save him."

* * *

"Hi, Hiro. I'm back," Tadashi said as he entered the all-too-familiar hospital room. Hiro was in his hospital bed as always, watching a cartoon that played on the television in the corner of the room. The younger boy shut it off when Tadashi approached him.

"Hi…" From the look on his face, Hiro seemed to have had a blank. His face brightened less than ten seconds later. "Big brother! Tadashi, right?"

Tadashi laughed while placing his jacket over his chair's back support. "That's right. How are you feeling?"

"Good," Hiro replied simply. "The doctor came by earlier for a checkup."

Tadashi pulled his notebooks and textbooks out of his backpack and placed them on the bed. While he inserted lead into his mechanical pencil, he asked, "Oh, really. What did he say?"

"He said I haven't gotten better…" Tadashi winced. "He said he's trying his best to find a cure, but…" Hiro turned to his brother and grinned. "I know _you'll_ be the one who'll be able to find it."

Tadashi's eyes widened. "You remember…?"

Hiro smiled sheepishly. "Well, the textbooks you just placed on the bed kinda reminded me…"

Tadashi laughed.

"So, what's your homework on today?" Hiro asked as he leaned closer to Tadashi.

"Principles of Human Biology," Tadashi replied. "The usual boring stuff."

Hiro tilted his head in order to read the words on the textbooks properly. "Looks boring," he chuckled.

Tadashi got up and stretched his arms out. "Before I get started on all this stuff, wanna head downstairs for a snack? My treat."

"Sweet!" Hiro exclaimed as he hopped out of bed. "You think they have gummy bears?"

"Definitely," Tadashi said as he opened the door for his little brother.

The two managed to escape the waves of patients and doctors and nurses, and oftentimes, Tadashi had to pick Hiro up to prevent him from getting run over by a patient on a stretcher getting rushed into the emergency room. Feeling just how light Hiro was made Tadashi want to cry because that just reminded him of how weak he was getting.

As they approached the cafeteria, Hiro decided to ask Tadashi the question that had been bugging him the entire walk.

"Hey, Tadashi?" Hiro asked. Tadashi looked down at him, nodding his head for him to continue. "If you don't like med school very much… why don't you drop it and get into something you _do_ like?"

Tadashi was certainly taken aback by this question. He quickly composed himself and replied, "I can't, Hiro."

"Why not?"

" _Hiro is sick."_

" _He's been diagnosed with a rare disease."_

" _The cure is currently unknown."_

"I have my reasons."

* * *

"How's Hiro?" Aunt Cass asked while cleaning up the café room with her older nephew.

"He's doing good. He's having trouble remembering things though," Tadashi said as he wiped a round table clean with a wet rug.

"I figured," Aunt Cass said. "So, I guess it'd be useless to mention me, huh?"

Tadashi chuckled. "Don't say that."

"I'm sorry I can't visit too often. I've got my hands full with the café," Cass frowned. "I have no idea how you do it. You have two jobs and school to work, yet you still find time to visit him."

"I can do homework anywhere, while you really do have to stay at the café, so that's one reason," Tadashi smiled as he started working on cleaning another table.

"Good point. But you really should find some time to rest," she said. "You're not Superman, you know."

Tadashi laughed. "I know, I know. But anything for Hiro, right?"

* * *

Two months passed, and Hiro's condition had gotten so much worse.

On top of his memory loss, the hallucinations had begun. Tadashi would sometimes enter the room to find Hiro talking to the empty seat next to him. He would have hallucinations of Tadashi sitting there and talking to him. He would call his hallucination Takashi or Tashi, but despite this, Tadashi was the tiniest bit happy because Hiro somehow remembered his daily visits.

Hiro had also gotten very weak to the point that he can't even walk anymore. Tadashi would have to push him around in a wheelchair if Hiro wanted to go get something to eat in the cafeteria.

Despite the fact that Hiro's condition had worsened and the fact that his checkups had doubled over the last two months, Hiro always smiled (and that was what hurt Tadashi the most).

The doctors had said he had less than three months left, and two had already passed. He could be gone any day now.

Tadashi walked down the halls of the hospital at a snail's pace. The thought of entering his brother's hospital room to find it completely empty horrified him. Tadashi finally made it to the door, and twisted the doorknob slowly. He peeked through the little opening, sighing in relief when he saw Hiro inside.

Hiro was sitting upright on his hospital bed. He was looking out the window, presumably admiring the cloudless blue sky and the shining sun.

"Hiro," Tadashi said softly as he stood by the door. Hiro turned around at the sound of his voice.

"Oh, is it time for my checkup?" Hiro asked, smiling.

Tadashi shook his head. "It's me, Tadashi, your big brother. I just came by to visit," he said. The words didn't seem to hurt as much anymore; he had gotten so used to these days.

"Oh yeah, you came earlier too," Hiro said looking extremely proud of himself for remembering.

"What? I didn't…" Tadashi trailed off. And then he remembered Hiro was experiencing hallucinations. He shook his head, and reached into his backpack. He pulled out a bag of sour gummy bears and handed it to Hiro. "Got you something on the way here."

"Sweet!" Hiro exclaimed as he ripped it open. He popped a couple of gummies in his mouth, then dropped a few on Tadashi's palm. "Thanks, Tadashi!"

"No problem," he replied. "So, anything funny happen today?"

Hiro made a thinking pose. "Hm… oh! Actually, earlier at the caf, this lady…"

While Hiro was telling his older brother his story, Tadashi observed his little brother's physical appearance. Hiro's cheeks had become very hollow, his skin had turned pale, and his body had become so thin and so bony; he looked so fragile that if someone were to drop him he would break into pieces. He looked so weak and exhausted.

Hiro's dark brown eyes were the only things that had life in them. They were filled with innocence and wonder, and-

"-Tadashi? Are you listening?" Hiro asked.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah…" he said. "Keep going."

He faked a smile.

* * *

"Welcome to Sweet Bean Coffee, how may I help you?" Tadashi asked the customer who approached the counter.

"Yes, I'd like a medium caramel frappucino please," they replied as they dug through their purse for their wallet.

"Alright, that'll be four dollars," Tadashi said. When the customer handed him the exact amount, he continued, "Please have a seat; we'll get your order ready for you in no time."

"Caramel frap on its way!" Tadashi's co-worker and best friend, Honey Lemon, exclaimed. "Medium?"

Tadashi nodded.

While waiting for other customers to arrive, Tadashi felt his phone vibrate. He took it out of his pocket and inspected it, his eyes widening slightly at the number of unread messages and missed calls. Before he could even touch the Phone app, his phone vibrated again, startling him.

"Aunt Cass…?" he said out loud when he read the name of the person calling. He looked left and right to see if his manager was anywhere in sight, and when he was sure the coast was clear, he touched the Answer button. "Hello?"

"Tadashi, thank goodness you answered!" Aunt Cass screamed from the other side.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" Tadashi asked, noticing the distress in her voice.

"It's Hiro- he- he's…"

"Hiro? What happened?! Aunt Cass-"

Once Aunt Cass finished her sentence, Tadashi threw his Sweet Bean Coffee apron off, and ran out of the café at full speed.

" _He's been rushed to the emergency room_."

* * *

Tadashi ran at full speed under the chilly winter air. He didn't care that his lungs were burning with intensity, or that his legs were growing more and more tired, or that it was getting harder for him to breathe; he had to see Hiro before it's too late.

When the San Fransokyo General Hospital was in sight, Tadashi sprinted all the way there. He forcefully opened the doors of the hospital, and ran up the stairs as fast he his legs could carry him. He reached the third floor in no time, and ran over to the emergency room's door. He pounded on the door with his formidable fists, hoping that doing so would open up the doors, but he was wrong.

Tadashi waited fearfully for Hiro to come out. One minute felt like an hour, and an hour felt like a year; time was going way too slow.

Finally, the doors opened.

Tadashi looked up and choked back his tears when he saw his little brother lying on the wheeled stretcher.

"Hiro!" he yelled as he ran over to his side. "Hiro, can you hear me?!"

Hiro slowly opened his eyes. "T-Tadashi…" he said weakly.

"Yeah, Hiro, it's me. I'm here," Tadashi said, grabbing his brother's hand. "You remembered…"

He nodded. "I could never forget… my big brother…"

"I made it in time," Tadashi told him.

"You always do," Hiro said. "Thank you."

Hiro's hand slipped from Tadashi's hold, and the last thing he said before his eyes closed was, with a smile…

" _See you in the next life._ "

* * *

 **A** pair of dark brown eyes opened.

"Hey, bonehead? You awake?"

Hiro sat upright at the sound of his brother's voice. He stretched his arms out while yawning, and asked, "I am now. What's the occasion?"

"Besides the showcase-" Oh, right. That was today. "-You looked like you were having a nightmare. You all right?" Tadashi asked worriedly as he placed a hand on Hiro's head.

Hiro looked up at his brother, and blinked innocently. "I… I don't even remember having a dream…"

Tadashi laughed, taking his hand off of his brother's big head. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Just get up already; the showcase is in an hour."

At this, Hiro jumped out of bed.

" _An hour_?!" he screeched, tripping all over himself as he ran around their bedroom. "TADASHI, WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?! YOU KNOW I STILL HAVE TO-" Hiro stopped in the middle of his sentence when he eyed the clock on his desk.

10am.

"You _suck_!" Hiro yelled out to his brother, who laughed from his side of the room.

"Anything to get you out of bed," Tadashi said as he appeared from behind their Japanese folding screen. He narrowly dodged the book Hiro threw at him. "You should thank me, you know. If I didn't wake you up now, you would've slept all afternoon and missed the showcase."

"Okay, that's only _partially_ true," Hiro said as he opened his closet to pick out his outfit to wear for the event. He then mumbled under his breath, "You could've woken me up at like two or something."

Tadashi had overheard, and told him, "I wouldn't even be here at two."

Hiro turned to his brother, tilting his head slightly to the side. "What? Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the lab. I'm just gonna go check on Baymax one last time," Tadashi shrugged. "I'll be back in not too long. Prepare yourself for the showcase and eat breakfast."

Tadashi walked through the door of their bedroom and made his way down the steps. When Hiro heard the front door shut, he jumped right back into bed, grinning, "Maybe just ten more minutes of sleep…"

* * *

With the help of Wasabi, Honey Lemon, GoGo, Fred and Tadashi, Hiro was able to wheel in all the blue recycling bins that were filled with his invention which he dubbed as microbots. His presentation was fantastic, and caught the attention of everyone in the room; notably Alistair Krei. Hiro refused the offer to sell his invention, much to the disappointment of Krei, but to the relief of Robert Callaghan.

After the showcase, Hiro and Tadashi walked off on their own while their friends and Aunt Cass headed to the Lucky Cat Café.

"I know what you're gonna say," Hiro said as he approached Tadashi, who was leaning over the railings of the little bridge they were on. With a deeper voice, Hiro said, "I should be proud of myself because I'm finally using my gift for something important."

"No, no," Tadashi said, turning away from Hiro to look at the view beneath them. Smirking, he continued, "I was just gonna tell you your fly was down for the whole show."

"Haha, hilarious," Hiro said sarcastically. However, this comment made him check his fly just in case Tadashi was telling the truth. " _What_?!" he yelled, mortified, as he zipped up his pants. He punched his brother's arm out of embarrassment, making Tadashi chuckle. When his chuckling died down, both Hamada brothers leaned on the railings, admiring the view of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's campus.

"Welcome to nerd school, nerd," Tadashi said softly as he looked down at Hiro.

"Hey, I, um…" Hiro began. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, so… y-you know…" He smiled up at Tadashi. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

Tadashi smiled back. He was just about to tell Hiro how proud he was of him, when emergency alarms suddenly went off. The sound of people screaming with terror resounded from behind them, making both of them run back to the showcase building to see what was happening.

Hiro and Tadashi looked up at the burning building in horror. It was an inferno; red and orange flames were eating away at every single thing in its way.

While on his way to the entrance, Tadashi noticed one of the students almost tripping over her two feet. Before she could hit the floor, Tadashi caught her, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied as she straightened herself. She then pointed over to the building, and before running off, she yelled, "But Professor Callaghan's still in there!"

Upon hearing this, Tadashi ran straight for the building. He was at the end of the stairs when he felt something tug on his arm, causing him to stop.

" _Tadashi, no_!" Hiro yelled in absolute fear. Tadashi looked into his brother's face, then at the burning building.

He knew that if he entered, he may never come back out.

But his only father figure and idol was still inside. He had to at least try to help him.

"Callaghan's in there," Tadashi said. "Someone has to help."

Tadashi ran up the stairs and into the inferno, leaving behind nothing but a broken Hiro and his _San Fransokyo Ninjas_ baseball hat which seemed to have fallen off due to how fast he was running. Hiro picked up the hat and looked down at it.

 _Tadashi…_

Hiro took one step up the stairs to help out his brother, when an explosion suddenly occurred, blowing him right off his feet. Hiro fell backwards and hit his head against the hard cement, blacking out for a few seconds. When he finally came to, he looked up at the flaming building, horror-stricken. There was no way _anyone_ could've survived.

" _TADASHI!"_

" _ **TADASHI!"**_

* * *

The car ride home was long and pointless.

Hiro looked down at the _San Fransokyo Ninjas_ hat in his hands and clutched it tightly. If he had held on to his brother for just a little longer, then he wouldn't have died. If he had just _stopped_ him, then he and Tadashi would've been going home together. They'd return to _their_ home and sleep in _their_ room, but it was too late for that now.

Aunt Cass parked her little car in front of the Lucky Cat Café. Hiro slipped out of the car with a dead expression on his face, while Aunt Cass kept on a strong façade despite her broken heart.

They walked through the doors of the café, making the bells chime above their heads. Once Cass closed the door, she turned around to find her youngest nephew walking straight for the stairs.

"Hiro?" she asked. Hiro stopped walking. "I know that… you…" Cass bit her lip. "You don't need to come downstairs for the reception."

Hiro nodded, and continued on his way up the stairs.

When he finally reached his and Tadashi's- now only his- room, he shut the door behind him, and that was when he broke down. He kept on a strong, unemotional face during the burial (if it could even be _called_ a burial, since there wasn't even a body to bury), but now that he was all alone with his pain and his memories, Hiro let it all out.

He didn't even care to change into his house clothes; he slipped right into his brother's bed with his black attire. He buried himself under Tadashi's covers and cried, while hugging his brother's hat tightly.

Tadashi didn't deserve it.

He had so much to live for. It wasn't fair that his life had to be cut short.

And the worst thing was…

Hiro didn't even get the chance to tell him how thankful he is for everything Tadashi had done for him.

* * *

Hiro had spent many days mourning the death of his big brother. He left his food untouched, refused to leave the house, and let his acceptance letter to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology collect dust in its corner.

Everything was meaningless without Tadashi.

But after meeting Baymax, things started getting better.

Hiro was able to become really good friends with Wasabi, Honey Lemon, GoGo and Fred. They became a superhero group called Big Hero 6 just like in Fred's old comic books. They captured Yokai, who turned out to be Robert Callaghan. Hiro finally decided to attend the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology as a Robotics student, just like his brother. And most of all, Baymax was always there to help fill the void in his heart.

(But it just wasn't the same).

Before he knew it, it had already been a month since Tadashi's passing.

"Aunt Cass, I'm going out. I won't be too long," Hiro told her while she picked out some chocolate-dipped donuts from the glass display case.

"Alright. Just be sure to be here by dinner," Cass answered. When she straightened her back and gave the donuts to her customer, Hiro gave her one last hug before dashing out the Lucky Cat Café's door.

* * *

Hiro looked up at the black iron gate before him. "San Fransokyo Cemetery" was written on it in bold font, and Hiro just felt even more heartbroken.

Hiro walked down the little path drawn out for him, clutching the bouquet of flowers in his hands. He kept going, stopping when he reached a familiar grave.

 **Tadashi Hamada**

"Hey, Tadashi," Hiro greeted as he knelt down to place the flowers on his brother's grave. "It's been a while, huh?" He stood up and rubbed his arm. "I… I can't believe it's already been a month. I really miss you. Everyone thinks I've gotten better, when in reality, I haven't. It's so easy to trick them."

Hiro raised his voice. "It's so… so _frustrating_ because everything I do reminds me of you. The littlest things bring me all the way back to our childhood, or even to the moments we shared just _days_ before the fire," he said, wiping away the tears that managed to escape. "I just want you here again. I want my big brother back. I don't care if you make fun of me or tease me o-or whack me over the head. I don't care, just as long as you're here with me."

"It's always been my dream to invent things with you…" Hiro choked. "I was so excited to go to school together and invent things together and change the world together."

"But… it's too late for that now."

"A-and the worst thing is, I wasn't even able to tell you how thankful I am for everything you've done for me, sacrificed for me, and for not giving up on me."

"So, I'll say it now."

"Tadashi…"

"Thank you."

Hiro fist-bumped his big brother's gravestone as if he were fist-bumping Tadashi.

He smiled.

" _See you in the next life."_

* * *

 **A** pair of dark brown eyes opened.

"Good evening, Tadashi," said a robotic voice.

Tadashi rubbed his eyes and looked up to find his robot Baymax staring at him with his two black eyes. Tadashi straightened his back and stretched his arms out, yawning. He looked over to where he was resting to find that he was sleeping on his desk in his study lab.

"Oh man, what time is it, Baymax?" Tadashi asked as he piled up all the scattered papers on his desk.

"It is currently 8:17pm. You have been asleep for approximately two hours, thirty three minutes, and twelve seconds as of… now," Baymax answered. "You appeared to be having a nightmare, so I took it upon myself to wake you up."

"A nightmare…?" Tadashi asked as he got up from his seat. "I don't remember having a dream…"

Baymax held a finger up. "That is normal. The brain…"

Tadashi picked up his textbooks and cleaned up messes that would drive Wasabi insane while Baymax talked about the biology of the brain. When Tadashi was done, he looked over at the robot, and smiled.

"Hiro's presenting at the showcase tomorrow," he told the robot. "I really hope he gets into this school." Tadashi placed a hand on Baymax's shoulder. "You deserve a rest too. You know how _you_ are on low battery…"

"I understand. Are you satisfied with your care?" Baymax asked.

"I'm satisfied with my care."

* * *

The day of the showcase finally arrived.

With the help of Wasabi, Honey Lemon, GoGo, Fred and Tadashi, Hiro was able to wheel in all the blue recycling bins that were filled with his invention which he dubbed as microbots. His presentation was fantastic, and caught the attention of everyone in the room; notably Alistair Krei. Hiro refused the offer to sell his invention, much to the disappointment of Krei, but to the relief of Robert Callaghan.

After the showcase, Hiro and Tadashi walked off on their own while their friends and Aunt Cass headed to the Lucky Cat Café.

"I know what you're gonna say," Hiro said as he approached Tadashi, who was leaning over the railings of the little bridge they were on. With a deeper voice, Hiro said, "I should be proud of myself because I'm finally using my gift for something important."

"No, no," Tadashi said, turning away from Hiro to look at the view beneath them. Smirking, he continued, "I was just gonna tell you your fly was down for the whole show."

"Haha, hilarious," Hiro said sarcastically. However, this comment made him check his fly just in case Tadashi was telling the truth. " _What_?!" he yelled, mortified, as he zipped up his pants. He punched his brother's arm out of embarrassment, making Tadashi chuckle. When his chuckling died down, both Hamada brothers leaned on the railings, admiring the view of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's campus.

"Welcome to nerd school, nerd," Tadashi said softly as he looked down at Hiro.

"Hey, I, um…" Hiro began. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, so… y-you know…" He smiled up at Tadashi. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

Tadashi smiled back.

Hiro turned his head to continue admiring the view, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Tadashi noticed his little brother make a face.

"What's wrong?" Tadashi asked.

Hiro pulled out the microbot Krei threw at him earlier and inspected it. He held it in between his thumb and index finger, and noticed that the upper part of the item was twitching and pointing in the direction of the showcase building.

"My microbot's acting really weird…" Hiro said as he turned around. Tadashi turned his head to see Hiro jogging in the direction of the showcase hall. "Hm, wait here for me, Tadashi, I'll be right back!"

"Alright, be careful!" Tadashi chuckled, turning back around to look up at the bright moon.

Tadashi was starting to worry when Hiro didn't return after five minutes. He pushed himself off the rail and began walking back to the building, when emergency alarms suddenly went off. The sound of people screaming with terror resounded in the distance, making Tadashi pick up his pace and run back to the showcase building to see what was happening.

When he made it, Tadashi looked up at the burning building in horror. It was an inferno; red and orange flames were eating away at every single thing in its way.

" _HIRO_!" Tadashi screamed as he ran towards the building.

While on his way there, Tadashi noticed one of the students almost tripping over her two feet. Before she could hit the floor, Tadashi caught her, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied as she straightened herself. She then pointed over to the building, and before running off, she yelled, "But Professor Callaghan's still in there!"

Upon hearing this, Tadashi ran straight for the building.

"Not Professor Callaghan too…" Tadashi whispered fearfully.

Before Tadashi made it to the stairs, he felt someone grab his arm. He looked behind him to find a student holding on to him.

"You can't go in there! You'll die!" they cried.

"Let me go!" Tadashi yelled, trying to shake his arm free. " _MY LITTLE BROTHER'S IN THERE_!" The student let him go upon hearing this, and only watch hopelessly as Tadashi ran off at full speed.

Tadashi took two steps up the stairs when he was suddenly blown off his feet by an explosion. He fell backwards and hit his head against the hard cement, blacking out for a few seconds. When he finally came to, he looked up at the flaming building, horror-stricken. There was no way _anyone_ could've survived.

" _HIRO!"_

" _ **HIRO!"**_

* * *

Tadashi had spent many days mourning the death of his big brother. He left his food untouched, refused to leave the house, and stopped attending his classes.

Everything was meaningless without Hiro.

If only he hadn't forced Hiro into applying into SFIT. If only he didn't suggest they go off on their own.

Tadashi was drowning in depression and guilt.

But because of his friends and Baymax, things started getting better.

Along with Baymax and his best friends Wasabi, Honey Lemon, GoGo and Fred, they became a superhero group called Big Hero 6 just like in Fred's old comic books. They captured Yokai, who turned out to be Tadashi's only father figure and idol, Robert Callaghan. Tadashi finally decided to go back to school because he knew that was what Hiro would've wanted him to do. And most of all, Baymax was always there to help fill the void in his heart.

(But it just wasn't the same).

Before he knew it, it had already been a month since Hiro's passing.

"Tadashi? You're going out?" Aunt Cass asked once she finished writing down a customer's order.

"Yeah, but I won't be too long!" Tadashi smiled. Before heading out the door, he gave his aunt one last hug and one last peck on the cheek.

* * *

"Hey, bonehead."

Tadashi stood in front of his brother's gravestone, his grip on the bouquet in his hands tightening when he read the name carved on the stone.

 **Hiro Hamada**

"It's already been a month, hasn't it?" Tadashi asked as he placed the flowers on his brother's grave. "It's so hard to believe because… just _weeks_ ago, you were still here with me."

"I'm so sorry for forcing you to get into SFIT. I just wanted what was best for you… you know that, right? I _knew_ you had the potential to change the world. I wanted to see the kind of world you'd create…"

He chuckled.

"You know what's funny? I've always been jealous of you."

"Ever since you were three, you were able to solve things without trying and think of things I could never even think of. You were so confident in everything you did and you were so straight-forward about your thoughts and feelings. I always wished I could be like you."

"But then I realized that being jealous was the dumbest thing."

"I began cheering for you instead because I knew you were going to grow up to be something _great_."

"And at only age fourteen…"

"You did."

"I… am so proud of you."

Tadashi placed a hand on top of his little brother's gravestone and patted it as if he were patting Hiro's head.

He smiled.

" _See you in the next life."_

* * *

 **T** wo pairs of dark brown eyes opened.

"This is it, huh?"

Hiro and Tadashi were lying on the ground; all covered in blood and black bruises and crushed bones. They were looking up at the dark gray sky, brown eyes traced with death and exhaustion.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Wasabi wasn't supposed to die, Honey Lemon wasn't supposed to die, or GoGo, or Fred, or Baymax.

And Hiro and Tadashi weren't supposed to watch their friends slip right through their fingertips.

"We beat him," Hiro choked, clutching his side as an attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of him.

Tadashi finished, breathing heavily, "But at the expense of our lives."

Hiro turned his head slightly to the side to face his brother. "We'll be together again in not too long."

Tadashi laughed. "That's right."

Hiro grabbed his big brother's hand, and smiled.

" _See you in the next life?"_

Tadashi squeezed his brother's hand, smiling as his eyes closed.

He nodded.

" _I'll be waiting."_

* * *

 **A/N:** This took me more than a month to write, and it's finally done. ;w;

THIS IS MY VERY FIRST REINCARNATION!AU SO I'M REALLY SORRY IF IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND I'M REALLY BAD WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING THINGS CLEAR. ;A; Oh, by the way, whenever Hiro and Tadashi woke up from their "nightmare", it wasn't a dream. It really did happen. They're having "flashbacks" of their past life, but they've convinced themselves that it was just a dream. IF YOU STILL DON'T GET IT OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK ME, FEEL FREE TO PM ME BECAUSE I FEEL I STILL DIDN'T EXPLAIN WELL AHAHAH.

Also, the royalty!au is actually a song by Rin and Len Kagamine called, "Servant of Evil". It's absolutely beautiful, and to pay tribute to one of my favorite Vocaloid songs, I wrote a Big Hero 6 version of it. Go check it out if you've never heard of it!

If you're gonna drop off a review, I have a little question for you!

 **Out of all the universes in this oneshot (gang!au, royalty/servantofevil!au, sickness!au, canonverse, role-reversed!au, bighero7!au), which one was your favorite?**

(Added bighero7!au in there even though it was only like three-hundred words ahahah).

Thank you for reading!


End file.
